This issue of PATH Today focuses on the launch of the MenAfriVac™ vaccine, the first meningitis vaccine created specifically for Africa. The issue includes a timeline of meningitis in Africa and the development of the vaccine, how PATH partnered with other organizations to create an affordable solution, and a glimpse of what life is like in the "meningitis belt."

Project Optimize—a collaboration between the World Health Organization and PATH—aims to employ technological and scientific advances in the immunization field. This document describes efforts to define ideal specifications for health products and create a flexible and robust vaccine supply chain that can handle an increasingly large and costly portfolio of vaccines.

This project Optimize document describes an effort by the World Health Organization, PATH, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Guatemala Ministry of Public Health and Social Services to address challenges related to vaccine introduction. The goal is to develop an information system that will enable the digital recording and transmission of immunization data.

In this document, project Optimize reviews the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Vaccine Management Business Improvement Project, which represents an end-to-end reengineering of the US public-sector vaccine supply chain—from vaccine budgeting through storage and distribution. The CDC’s overarching goal was to ensure that vaccine was flowing to the right places at the right time.

This issue of PATH Today highlights new, innovative technologies coming from the lab and shop at PATH, a spotlight on the December launch of the meningitis vaccine in Western Africa, and a tuberculosis project in Tanzania. Also noted is the 1+1 Challenge, expanding PATH’s presence with new country offices in Africa, and the announcement of a new leader for PATH's India country program.

This report summarizes the activities and achievements of PATH's Japanese encephalitis project (2003–2009), which aimed to accelerate availability of a safe and efficacious vaccine to vulnerable communities throughout Asia. Technical fact sheets bundled with the report provide guidance on disease surveillance, cost-effectiveness, advocacy, vaccine introduction, and more. The report is available as one large file or as four smaller files for easier downloading.

As part of project Optimize, a five-year human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine demonstration project is under way in Vietnam, Uganda, India, and Peru to generate evidence for government decision-making about successful vaccine delivery strategies to provide HPV vaccine to young adolescent girls. HPV vaccine is a strong candidate for storage and transport in a controlled temperature chain at temperatures higher than the standard 2° to 8°C cold chain storage.

PATH and our partners have been advancing innovative vaccine technologies for more than 30 years. This report outlines our approach and capabilities. It also describes a number of individual vaccine technologies at various stages of development and market introduction to put this work in context.

Commissioned by project Optimize, a collaboration of PATH and the World Health Organization, a study of vaccine vial monitor (VVM) availability and use in developing countries in four regions was undertaken. The study had three aspects: the total proportion of vaccines with VVMs in the regions with detailed information by country, in-depth information on policies and practices, and knowledge and attitudes in a selected sample of countries.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is intended to prevent cervical cancer. As part of project Optimize, a two-year HPV vaccine demonstration project is being conducted to demonstrate how existing delivery systems can be adapted to successfully provide HPV vaccine to young adolescent girls. HPV vaccine is a strong candidate for out-of-the-cold-chain use given its characteristics of high heat stability and freeze sensitivity.

In July 2010, project Optimize held workshops in Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA, to engage stakeholders from a wide variety of organizations. The workshops discussed developing-country immunization systems and sought participant perspectives on the desired future state of the systems. This document provides a summary of the workshops.

PATH has worked to improve maternal and child health, nutrition, and family planning in developing countries for more than 30 years. This brochure describes our integrated approach to reach mothers, children, and communities with key innovations for strong futures.

This issue of Outlook provides an update on opportunities for preventing cervical cancer through vaccination and screening. It summarizes recent evidence on the safety and efficacy of human papillomavirus vaccines as well as successful approaches for screening and treatment in low-resource areas. Other topics include cost-effectiveness, communication and training, and implications for policy and programs.

This publication describes the public health potential of multipurpose prevention technologies -- that is, technologies that prevent unintended pregnancy; sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; and/or other reproductive tract infections. While a few such technologies exist, greater collaboration and resources are needed to accelerate research and development efforts and bring new technologies into widespread use.

Both Iran and Sudan utilize an alarm-based temperature recording system to monitor the performance of their national immunization cold stores. To better the utility and application of such systems in other countries, this project Optimize report documents the benefits, challenges, and advantages of both Iran’s and Sudan’s systems.

This report from the vaccine technologies team at PATH presents results from an economic model that calculates the costs involved in delivering IPV vaccine in Indian immunization clinics according to three strategies: (1) intradermal delivery of reduced volumes of vaccine per dose, (2) use of adjuvants to allow a reduced IPV antigen content per dose, and (3) reduction of the number of doses per IPV immunization schedule. The strategies include delivery by standard technique and with alternative delivery devices.

Project Optimize is collaborating with the Vietnamese National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on a series of activities designed to assess the opportunities and needs for strengthening the immunization system in Vietnam. This document reports the results of assessments of the vaccine supply chain in Vietnam, completed in March 2010.

This report, the first annual policy report of the Global Health Technologies Coalition, makes recommendations for Congress and the Obama Administration to ensure that the United States maximizes its investment in global health and continues as a leader in global health research and development. The report makes recommendations in three areas: public financing, regulatory pathways, and incentives and innovative financing.